


The flirt

by FreeShavocadoo



Category: HiGH&LOW (Movies), HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Confessions of a flirt, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, first encounters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 23:23:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15302322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeShavocadoo/pseuds/FreeShavocadoo
Summary: Brown reminisces about his first encounters with each member of the Prison Gang and the role of his flirtatious behaviour.





	The flirt

When Brown meets first meets Jesse, it’s somewhat of a break in habit. Since he was a teenager he’d been berated for his interactions with men, caring little for the prying eyes of others and the boundaries lesser men held themselves accountable to in public. If he wanted to show interest, he would. The concept of rejection had never scared him, much like the prospect of a fight. The chase was what made it exciting, made his hands shake and his vision sharpen. The rush was meant to be pursued, so when he was constantly being told to ‘tone it down’, he simply laughed and moved on. Prison had been no different in that respect- being told what to do had never sat well with Brown and he had no intention of bowing down to anyone, much less listening to them.

Jesse had an aura about him that was indescribable to Brown, he was a complete enigma. Brown had assumed multiple wrong things about him when he’d met his future leader, thinking he was a cocky and arrogant moron with a Napoleon complex. Whilst Jesse was quick to the punch and even faster to attack with barbed words and arrogant smirks, he was something entirely new to Brown. Jesse was likely to point out everyone else’s shortcomings, yet he was also just as likely to encourage them even if his methods were unconventional. Brown supposes being Jesse’s size in prison comes with its own defence mechanisms, but Jesse never seemed particularly weighed down by people’s instant ability to write him off as a threat.

Jesse had been in the middle of an altercation outside of the cells, over what, Brown can barely remember. He’d been minding his own business leaning against the bars when Jesse had gone hurtling past, tackling a man twice his size onto the floor with a kind of manic energy that left Brown reeling. Jesse barely stopped to give the guy a breath, punching him with such vigour the sounds could be heard down the corridor. When the victim of Jesse’s impatience lets out another groan, his cellmate comes rushing out of nowhere, heading straight for Jesse who’s back was turned to him, still wrapped up in his initial fight.

Brown barely remembers even leaving his cell, but the roundhouse-kick he delivers fills him with reckless excitement, the attempted assailant lay groaning on the floor, clutching his shoulder.

“Hmm, wasn’t he **my** problem?” Jesse turns to look at Brown, standing up and kicking the man beneath him before strolling over. He stops all-too close to Brown, the twinkle in his eyes now plain to see, the slight dimples from his smirk now evident. Although he stands a head smaller than Brown, he simply cocks his head upwards and winks.

“I dunno, man. You seemed preoccupied.” Brown smirks back, running his fingers through his meticulously styled hair. Jesse’s eyes follow the movement of his hand, the intensity of his stare reminds Brown vaguely of a predator scouting its prey. It’s a thorough stare and it has Brown all kinds of curious.

“Jesse.” He offers his hand to Brown, the smirk still permanently placed on his face as his hand squeezes Brown’s, his grip lingering a little longer than average as he lets his hand drop back down to his side.

“Brown.” He smiles back at Jesse, his fingers practically twitching with unbridled energy.

“Nice to meet you.” Jesse sings, teasingly, his hand reaching up to nudge Brown’s cheek. The look he gives Brown reminds him of the guys he used to be all kinds of susceptible to in high school. All cocksure and egotistical. He can’t help but think it actually suits him.

“Let’s have some fun together.” Brown grins, walking in step alongside Jesse, feeling oddly optimistic about what had begun as a boring stint in prison.

 

* * *

 

 

When Nakamon joins them next, Brown is more than curious. Jesse had rejected more than one attempt of the other prisoners to join them. When Brown asks why he’s being so picky, Jesse just shrugs and tells him that he’s sick of being bored, a sentiment that Brown can understand better than anyone.

Nakamon didn’t even seek them out to begin with, simply interacting with Jesse because he was stuck in a cell with him. Jesse seemed to revel in the indifference, chatting Nakamon’s ear off just because he could. Just like with everyone else that met Jesse, Nakamon seemed to allow his bratty behaviour for the most part, although he’d told Jesse to shut the fuck up on more than one occasion. When Brown actually sees him up close initially, he’s doing just that. Brown had wandered into Jesse’s cell, full of pent up energy, pining for some kind of excitement.

“Yo, Brown,” Jesse greets from his bed, stretched out comfortably with his arm tucked behind his head, “this is Nakamon. Don’t mind him, he’s just a bit bitchy.”

Nakamon frowns from his bed, sat upright. Brown’s eyes dance across his arms, full of tattoos and lightly toned. Brown bounds over to his side, sitting so close his thigh was touching Nakamon’s, his arm pressed against Nakamon’s elbow. The look Nakamon gives him leaves him slightly breathless, a sharp and calculated stare, right into Brown’s eyes.

“Nice to meet you.” Brown smiles, staring under his eyelashes at Nakamon’s face. Where Jesse is all smirks and dimples, Nakamon is brooding and content with silence. When Brown’s hand brushes against his thigh, he gives an inquisitive stare but does little to move away.

“I can already tell you’re gonna be a problem.” He says, and Brown tips his head back to laugh loudly, patting Nakamon on his thigh, leaning closer.

“The best kind of problem.” Brown breathes against Nakamon’s neck, leaning his head there briefly before it’s unceremoniously pushed off.

“I’m gonna sleep. Leave me be.” Nakamon huffs, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes.

Brown just takes the opportunity to admire him, feeling particularly starved of attractive male attention. Nakamon has a hard face, but it’s angular in all the right ways. Broody usually equated to boring in Brown’s book, tending to be the trait of men who were only content to speak to him behind closed doors away from questioning stares. But Nakamon seemed to exude the same recklessness as Jesse, just with a low tolerance for bullshit.

When Brown experimentally runs his fingers down Nakamon’s bare arm, he hears a soft sigh followed by a grumble, his hand being swatted away.

“What did I say? I’m tryna sleep. Either sit still or fuck off.” He grumbles, giving Brown a severe side-eye before closing his eyes once more.

Jesse laughs from his bed, watching the two with the same intense stare he’d first greeted Brown with, tilting his head. Brown nods, confirming Jesse’s silent question- _is he worthy of joining us?_

Before Nakamon can protest, Brown slips beside him, all flailing limbs and clingy grips, curling around him in a way that would have been impossible even for the most formidable opponent to escape from. If Nakamon is uncomfortable, he doesn’t say so, choosing instead to just huff and pet Brown’s hair before drifting off into a comfortable sleep. Jesse hums to himself quietly, a nice reminder of his presence, lulling Brown into a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Akune and Miou join them next, never content to be left out of a fight. The same way Brown had intervened with Jesse’s fight, they intervened with Brown’s, both fighting together with such fluidity that Brown was convinced for a brief moment they were the same person. The pure, unaltered recklessness they radiate appeals entirely to Brown, and when he asks Jesse if they can join, he nods and tells Brown that if he likes them, Jesse will like them too.

Unsurprisingly, Brown just can’t help himself when he sees them sitting together, sliding in the small gap between them with a huge grin on his face. Akune is the first to make a move, slipping his arm around Brown’s shoulders with ease, his hands reaching Miou’s neck and giving it a little tickle. Brown just takes a moment to truly appreciate the attention, resting his head back on Akune’s shoulder and letting out a small whine.

“What’s the matter, princess?” Miou questions, curling Brown’s hair around his finger and offering him a small smile.

“I’m dying!” He whines dramatically, moving his hand over his face to reiterate his statement, Akune laughing softly.

“From what, lack of attention?” Nakamon snipes from the floor, narrowing his eyes at Brown.

“Aw, babe, how terrible,” Miou teases, tickling over Brown’s tattoo and making him squirm, “we not giving you enough attention?”

It catches up with Brown all at once, the instant acceptance. Not that he wasn’t usually well received when he flirted, but more the genuineness of it all. He knew all to well how men around here liked to throw their weight around and treat flirting as an invitation to show their dominance. The soft brush of Akune’s stubble against Brown’s neck is barely a ghost of a touch, so is the arm draped over his shoulder, and yet it was more than satisfying enough for Brown. The rush he usually tried to seek out tended only to be satisfied by more grand gestures and yet here he was, curled up between the two newest members of the prison gang, perfectly content.

“Nope, I don’t think you ever could.” Brown replies, stretching his legs over Miou’s lap, appreciating the way Miou’s hand rests near his ankle, tracing delicate lines on the exposed skin, making Brown’s eyes droop and his breathing slow down, a sudden wave of tiredness sweeping over him.

“I guess we finally found a way to shut him up.” Nakamon glances between Akune and Miou, chuckling softly.

“Says the guy speaking softly so he doesn’t wake up again.” Jesse nips at Nakamon’s neck, getting a pinch in return.

When Brown starts to inevitably shuffle around in his sleep, Akune and Miou move to accommodate him, Brown’s head now resting on Akune’s lap with his legs still stretched across Miou’s. Every time he drifts in and out of sleep, he can hear the two of them speaking in hushed tones, but Akune’s fingers continue to run through Brown’s hair and against his scalp, unknowingly in sync with Miou’s fingers dancing across Brown’s ankle. Akune says nothing when Brown leans up to give him a peck on the cheek before settling back down, but stifles his laughter when a scorned Miou moves Brown’s legs from his lap to lean over him and point dramatically at his own cheek. When Brown complies, Miou moves back to his original position, lifting Brown’s legs once more onto his lap and resuming his gentle movements.

 

* * *

 

 

Mocai joins not long after, coming into the cell they all inhabited and throwing cigarettes around, sitting on the floor as though he’d already been accepted in. Brown admired his presumptuous nature and clearly so did Jesse, who would’ve been more than content to kick Mocai in the face if he thought he wasn’t worthy of joining them.

When Brown sits beside him, he is reminded somewhat of Nakamon in appearance when he looks at Mocai. All sloping statures, dark hair and razor-sharp cheekbones. But unlike Nakamon’s resting scowl, the corner of Mocai’s mouth remains titled upwards, as though he’s amused by something nobody else is privy to. His hair also curls more haphazardly, with Nakamon preferring to gel his back, drawing attention to his frown. In comparison, Mocai’s hair was just pushed back with ease and Brown was dying to run his fingers through it to feel if it was as soft as it looked.

The quiet sigh he gets in return for impulsively running his fingers through Mocai’s hair is worth it, with Mocai moving his head towards Brown’s hand to seek further contact. When his eyes snap fully open after being briefly shut in his moment of bliss, Brown swears the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His fight or flight instincts were always lurking, but Mocai’s stare made him want to fight in the best way possible. The look was less of a threat and more of a promise and Brown would be damned if he didn’t act accordingly.

When Mocai leaps forward, Brown meets him halfway, used to being underestimated for his rather wiry stature. His legs wrap around Mocai with ease, rolling him onto his back before Mocai even has a chance to counter, pinning his hands down. Brown is all too aware of the precarious position he’s in, straddling Mocai’s waist and holding his wrists down. When Jesse whistles, Brown takes little notice, leaning down to kiss Mocai with such vigour he swears he heard a startled squeak. Brown can’t help himself, though, choosing to lean back and smile devilishly before hopping up onto his feet and sitting beside Jesse.

“Tease.” Mocai breathes out from the floor, remaining on his back and staring at the ceiling with his eyes glazed over.

“I wouldn’t take it too personally,” Jesse laughs, nuzzling his face against Brown’s neck, “he’s like that with all of us.”

“Yeah, so I wouldn’t think you were anything special, if I were you.” Nakamon states, holding his hand out to Mocai and lifting him to his feet when his hand is accepted. Mocai stares inquisitively between them all before smirking to himself.

“I get it,” he looks around before his eyes land on Brown, offering a genuine smile, “you’re the princess of the group.”

Brown preens, breaking out into a huge grin as all eyes in the room seem to be on him. It was the best kind of feeling for him to have, the attention of all of these beautiful men. These men who were slowly starting to inch under his skin and make him all kinds of attached.

“Something like that.” Miou sniggers, elbowing Akune who seemed to be laughing at Mocai’s misfortune of being the one who was publicly loved and left in front of everyone.

“Well, good to know.” Mocai replies, sitting beside Nakamon on the floor and seeming to settle down with ease, sharing a look with Nakamon that Brown couldn’t quite decipher. He doesn’t doubt he’ll fit right in with the rest of them. After all, Brown had practically acted as a honey pot to them all and yet none seemed bothered that they’d taken the bait.

 

 

* * *

 

Pho was a different story entirely. When Brown watches Jesse step out of the cell to talk with him, he can’t keep his eyes away from Pho. The smoothness of his skin, rich and glowing. His height made Brown eager to jump on him, excited at the prospect of being carried around by someone. And his _mouth._ Brown just knew it would be a sin not to kiss those lips at least once.

He can’t believe it when Jesse tells him Pho is quite shy, more reserved than the rest of them anyway. Brown can’t believe a guy of that size is shy for one second but he trusts Jesse’s words and decides to tread lightly, not wanting to scare him off. He waits until Pho is in his cell by himself and slips in quietly, seating himself at the foot of Pho’s bed. When Pho’s eyes meet his, he feels an instant warmth in his chest, a sense of security. 

“Hey,” he waves jauntily at Pho, smiling impishly, “I’m Brown.”

“I figured. Jesse mentioned you.” He replies, remaining sat in his reclined position at the other end of the bed, his long legs almost reaching where Brown had seated himself. Brown gets momentarily side-tracked, wondering if Pho’s legs are half as muscular as his thighs. When Pho stares silently but questioningly, Brown just smiles again.

“Good things, I hope.” The statement seems to amuse Pho, who stares down at his hands with the faintest smile forming on his lips. Brown is side-tracked all over again.

“I won’t confirm or deny.” Pho teases, Brown practically writhing around at this point. _God._ Why hadn’t Jesse mentioned how fucking pretty Pho was? If Brown didn’t know any better he’d say it was because Jesse wanted him to himself. _Well too bad_ he thinks, _I always get what I want._

“So,” Brown practically crawls up the bed towards Pho, maintaining steady eye contact as he comes to a stop right in front of Pho’s crossed legs, “what do you think of me?”

Pho’s eyes remain on Brown, the softness in complete contrast to the mischief in Jesse’s eyes or the hardness of Nakamon’s stare. Brown feels overwhelmed, clambering onto Pho’s lap in the least graceful demonstration of neediness ever. For a moment he’s worried he’s gone too far, until Pho’s hand steadies him, resting on the small of his back. His hand practically covers the lower section of Brown’s back entirely, the warmth seeping through Brown’s shirt and making him melt, cheek pressing against Pho’s neck.

“Haven’t decided yet.” His voice is soft and he remains entirely still, Brown taking full advantage of the position to kiss Pho slowly, savouring the softness of his lips and the care with which he kissed Brown back. Brown doesn’t think anyone has ever kissed him so intimately and softly and he can hardly blame them, he loves to kiss how he loves to fight. A display of recklessness, unabashed excitement and aggression. The way Pho’s hands hold his hips makes him feel like he’s a virgin all over again, soft to the touches and longing stares.

“And now?” Brown breathes out, panting slightly from their prolonged kiss.

“I still haven’t decided.” When Brown huffs, pouting, Pho laughs. It’s a quiet laugh and Brown notes that it hardly should suit a man of his stature, but it does. It reaches his eyes and makes them even warmer, more inviting. Brown is hardly surprised Jesse is so possessive over him, Pho was a new sensation to Brown entirely, which was a hard feat considering the amount of male company he’s had over the years.

Jesse pokes his head around the bars, shaking his head at Brown with an exaggerated eye-roll. Pho glances, his expression softening and his cheeks flushing. His hands still stay on Brown’s hips and Brown is adamant he’s not moving from Pho’s lap now unless absolutely necessary.

“You little manwhore.” Jesse growls, jumping onto Pho’s other side with ease and curling beside him, staring with utter adoration at him. He turns his head to wink at Brown, though, giving his hand a squeeze.

 

* * *

 

 

The feeling of fresh air on his skin just makes Brown buzz even more, jumping around everyone with glee. It’d been so long since he’d been out properly and he was willing to savour every second of it, bumping into Nakamon who steadies him but then promptly tells him to stop being an idiot. Akune and Miou are just as bad, arms around each other’s shoulders, singing together. Mocai walks alongside Nakamon, whispering the odd thing into his ear and occasionally giving Brown small smiles, kissing his cheek when Brown pauses for two seconds. Pho walks ahead, wearing his huge fur coat, Brown loving the way it made Pho look even taller and bigger.

He can’t help himself and practically swings on Pho’s arm, whooping excitedly. Pho looks down at him and chuckles affectionately, letting Brown hang from his arm even though it’s probably uncomfortable if not just irritating. Brown knows Pho is mainly anxious and excited to see Jesse. It had been a while for all of them since he’d left for Sun Kings and Brown knows he isn’t the only one who missed seeing the bleached head of hair or Jesse’s abundance of tattooed skin as he insisted on exercising with his shirt off. The thought makes Brown even more aware of how long it’s been since he’s had Jesse’s hands and mouth all over him and it instils a neediness that won’t be good for whoever their next job is aimed at hurting.

“Thinking about Jesse?” Pho asks softly, looking down at him.

“Maybe.” He keeps his grip on Pho’s arm as they walk into Doubt’s headquarters, humming loudly as he surveys the place, wrinkling his nose at the dark interiors and the red lighting. He’d never much cared for darker rooms, reminding him too much of his cell, even if there wasn’t fluorescent lighting here.  

The figure in the middle of the room is just as imposing as Brown expects it to be, having heard from Pho just how manic Ranmaru is. He paints an impressive picture, slouched back in his seat, the low light casting shadows across his face. The red fur hangs nicely from him, his gaze so meticulous it was practically burning. Brown could practically hear Jesse’s voice in his ear, _oh for fucks sake Brown, control yourself_. He also knows Jesse would say that to him being fully aware that Brown really **can’t** help himself and Jesse would probably never want him to actually withhold his behaviour.

Feeling that gaze on him just made his excitement and anticipation skyrocket. He’d been fighting the same people for too long and he grew tired of them, he needed a change in scenery. So when Ranmaru sends them off downstairs to fight for coins, he’s all to willing to oblige, shooting Ranmaru a cocky smirk and a wink before he exits the room. He knows Ranmaru’s eyes are on him when he tells them to commence and he is all too willing to put on a show, flipping and sliding across the floor at a ridiculous speed, whooping the entire time.

Pho naturally, is the first one up the stairs, but Brown runs in behind him.

“Now **that** was fun!” He exclaims, skipping to Pho’s other side and staring at Ranmaru with intrigue. Ranmaru’s eyebrow raises but his eyes seem to crinkle ever so slightly.

It barely takes thirty seconds for the rest to join them, Akune and Miou absent a single scratch, hanging off one-another. Nakamon sweeps in silently, his arms folded with a scowl on his face, tossing the coins with reckless abandon. Mocai seems to pop up out of nowhere, throwing the coins to the floor with a satisfied look on his face. Brown can’t say the same for the Ranmaru’s guys, with the taller of the two sporting a split lip and the shorter mouthier one parading his split lip with a nasty looking bruise on his cheek. Brown can’t help but have a nasty suspicion it was the backfire from his kick that caused it, but, no matter.

By the time they’ve settled down to drink, Brown can barely contain himself, sitting on the arm of Ranmaru’s chair and swinging his legs. He takes a swig from the bottle in his left hand, tilting his head.

“So, Ranmaru,” Brown begins, knowing that his manner of addressing the leader of Doubt was probably too informal, “are you looking forward to working with us?”

Ranmaru considers him for a second, slouching back in his chair. His expression seems to stay the same but his eyes are more searching than they were a second ago, the shadows dancing across his face.

“You looking for something,” he looks Brown up and down, “Brown?”

Brown’s hand slips onto Ranmaru’s arm, gripping the fur under his fingers, appreciating its softness under his hand. He feels braver, running his finger down the side of Ranmaru’s cheek, fully aware of his movement being tracked. What he doesn’t expect is Ranmaru to smile widely, grabbing onto his hand. The grip doesn’t hurt, but it lacks the softness of Pho’s hands in comparison. Ranmaru’s lips brush Brown’s fingers so barely that Brown finds himself moving his hand up just to seek the contact.

“What a great part time job.”

Jesse stands in the doorway, a broken cane in his hand being thrown to the floor. Brown’s breath hitches momentarily, taking in the sight of Jesse after so long without seeing him. The urge to throw him to the floor and kiss him until neither of them can breathe is almost too much. He knows just by the looks that the others are giving him they must be thinking the same thing. The conversation that ensues, Brown can barely remember, linking arms with Miou as they all trudged out of Doubt HQ.

When they finally settle down in their temporary accommodation, it’s small and dingy, some tiny apartment in the middle of Little Asia. Brown cares little, there’s two mattresses pushed together on the floor, a solution until they have enough money to get something better and Brown is more concerned about the presence of the others, feeling overwhelmed. The combination of relief from being out and happiness at seeing Jesse again has him lightheaded and he’s hardly surprised when Nakamon grips his shoulder.

“You good?” He questions, looking concerned. When Brown nods, he wraps his arms around Brown’s waist, kissing his shoulder softly. Brown loves it when Nakamon feels the need to check on him, when Nakamon constantly bites at him he loves it of course, but when he stares with concern it just makes Brown’s knees weak.

There is a muffled noise of surprise as Jesse is picked up by Pho and swung around like a child, Pho grinning.

“Welcome back.”

Jesse laughs, his eyes twinkling as he drops to the mattress, patting beside him. Pho drops first, spooning him. Akune and Miou follow, wrapped around each other like a vice, with Mocai curling up into a small ball further to the side until Nakamon wraps an arm around him. Brown just stares fondly, for once in his life, lost for words entirely. When he squeezes himself between Jesse and Pho, Jesse just smiles at him, a genuine and soft smile, not a smirk. Pho nuzzles against his neck, kissing over his tattoo.

“My boys.” Jesse croons, attacking each one of them in turn, peppering them with kisses and violent cuddles, manhandling Brown into a bear hug.

“Miss me, princess?” He grins, Brown staring in utter adoration.

“Of course we missed you.” Brown replies, for once taking the time to kiss Jesse softly, slowly. When Jesse leans into him, Brown runs his fingers through Jesse’s familiar tousled hair, making himself familiar with the first man he fell head over heels for all over again.

“The princess is right.” Nakamon yells, jumping on Jesse with vigour, followed in turn by everyone else.

Brown knew his endless flirting would eventually pay off.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was a challenge for myself and I hope it paid off! Enjoy.


End file.
